I was impacted by an interaction recorded in the book Same Kind of Different As Me to illustrate friendship. A man named Denver made the observation how some fishermen practice "catch and release." They are into fishing for sport. After catching, weighing, or taking a photo, the fish is released. Denver had no interest in catching a fish only to release it. Catching a whopper brought the town together to celebrate the catch and share a delicious meal. The point driven home to me is friendship is for keeps. If you genuinely love someone, you won't let them go. You will always hold a friend close in your heart even if time or distance separates.
Matt Redman wrote a song titled "You Never Let Go" which enforces how God treats us all like "keepers" though we have never measured up. As sinners we have fallen dreadfully short of His righteous standards, yet out of His love for us God embraces and adopts us as His own through the Gospel. This divine acceptance is all of grace, and it is received when we repent and place our faith in Jesus Christ as LORD. Jesus called His disciples friends, and all who will be His friends will keep His commands.
The chorus of Redman's song says, "Oh no, You never let go through the calm and through the storm...in every high and every low. Oh no, You never let go Lord. You never let go of me." Our grip on God grows weak and weary as we are beset by anxieties and cares. No matter the trial or trouble God keeps us close, and no one is able to snatch us out of God's hand. I am in wonder of the grace of God that when we were in complete rebellion against God He pursued us and bid us draw near to Him in faith. It is one thing to gather your little own ones in your arms, but another thing to reach out to stubborn rebels. Push Him away, try to silence Him if you want, but as long as we live on this earth He will not stop seeking us out and calling our names. We cannot drown out the voice of truth or comfortably numb our conscience from the Saviour who will have us for His eternal inheritance.
Fall on your face in worship, man! David's musings echo in my soul of the excellence of the LORD in Psalm 8:3-4: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?" Dust we are and to dust we will return, yet the love and life given through Christ endures forever. 1 Peter 1:3-5 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." All who will submit to being caught by the Gospel God deems a keeper.
God doesn't do "catch and release" when we fail. He's a God who keeps His redeemed by His power through faith for eternal salvation. Repentance leads to restoration of fellowship with God by His grace. God loves and never lets go. Should you choose to go your own way, don't be surprised when He hunts you down and speaks kindly to you. What grace!
Matt Redman wrote a song titled "You Never Let Go" which enforces how God treats us all like "keepers" though we have never measured up. As sinners we have fallen dreadfully short of His righteous standards, yet out of His love for us God embraces and adopts us as His own through the Gospel. This divine acceptance is all of grace, and it is received when we repent and place our faith in Jesus Christ as LORD. Jesus called His disciples friends, and all who will be His friends will keep His commands.
The chorus of Redman's song says, "Oh no, You never let go through the calm and through the storm...in every high and every low. Oh no, You never let go Lord. You never let go of me." Our grip on God grows weak and weary as we are beset by anxieties and cares. No matter the trial or trouble God keeps us close, and no one is able to snatch us out of God's hand. I am in wonder of the grace of God that when we were in complete rebellion against God He pursued us and bid us draw near to Him in faith. It is one thing to gather your little own ones in your arms, but another thing to reach out to stubborn rebels. Push Him away, try to silence Him if you want, but as long as we live on this earth He will not stop seeking us out and calling our names. We cannot drown out the voice of truth or comfortably numb our conscience from the Saviour who will have us for His eternal inheritance.
Fall on your face in worship, man! David's musings echo in my soul of the excellence of the LORD in Psalm 8:3-4: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?" Dust we are and to dust we will return, yet the love and life given through Christ endures forever. 1 Peter 1:3-5 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." All who will submit to being caught by the Gospel God deems a keeper.
God doesn't do "catch and release" when we fail. He's a God who keeps His redeemed by His power through faith for eternal salvation. Repentance leads to restoration of fellowship with God by His grace. God loves and never lets go. Should you choose to go your own way, don't be surprised when He hunts you down and speaks kindly to you. What grace!
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